Dancing Through Us
by LittleBlackStarz
Summary: At a department dance party, Bobby finds himself stuck watching Alex dancing with another man. Annoyed at his jealousy, Bobby leaves...only to have an intrigued Alex follow him... One shot BobbyAlex fluff :


Dancing Through Us

A/N: I do not own any of the characters in this story. They are expressly owned by Dick Wolf wonderful man that he is and Law and Order Criminal Intent. Thanks!

Her eyes are dancing, he thought as his heart took in its fill. The candlelight really works wonders with her; she looks like the brightest star in the sky. Her hair, layered short to surround her heart shaped face, glows like gold and bronze and seems to create a beautiful halo above her head.

She is serene, graceful…and dancing with someone else.

Bobby felt a sharp pang of conscious jealousy run through him, something he immediately felt ashamed for. Alex really looked like she was having a good time…there was no need for him to be jealous. Besides, his lack of dancing at the party only added to his drinking time.

Not that kind of drinking, Bobby mused with a half smile as he nursed his sparkling cider. He'd never been into alcohol, or anything related to alcohol, such as bars. He was more of the homey type, preferring a cup of tea in front of a fire over two fingers of jacks in some musky bar.

But that was beside the point, especially since thinking about being comfortable in front of fireplaces usually made him think of Alex. And thinking about Alex only lead to him feeling more and more depressed.

When he heard her laugh heartily at something her dance partner said, Bobby's gut clenched. Who was this moron to make her laugh? Only he, Bobby, had a right to hear Alex's laughter…or maybe that was a bit too possessive, he added as an afterthought. After all, Alex wasn't his girlfriend, his wife, his lover…she was only his partner, and a very dear friend. His best friend, the one person he trusted with his life. He had to smile at that, because he wasn't the trusting type.

But Alex, above all people, was trustworthy, and heartbreakingly honest.

Bobby sipped his small glass of sparkling cider warily, watching as Alex was spun, dipped, caressed…he found himself muttering threats, most of them resembling "get your paws off of her you scumbag…"

When the song became one of slow beat and rhythm, Bobby saw that Alex and her dance partner reached for each other and began to turn. He felt numb with envy…he wanted so badly to feel her body against his, so tiny yet so strong…

He glanced up and saw that she was watching him, her eyes concerned. He felt instantly guilty at having ruined her perfect time. Standing up, he smiled at her and turned to leave the room.

He polished off the last of his sparkling cider and tossed the plastic cup in the garbage as he approached the doorway leading to the outside. It was a chilly night, and he knew that his mere white button up shirt and slacks would do him little good. He found that after seeing that look in Alex's eyes, he didn't care if he caught pneumonia.

"Bobby!" a voice called from behind. He stopped dead in his tracks and closed his eyes warily. He should have known that she'd follow him.

Turning around, he found himself just inches from Alex. Her breath was sending steamy clouds into the night sky.

She'd put on make up that night for the department party, and had curled her hair. He had to admit that she looked gorgeous, even though he thought she was beautiful even when she was under the weather and unkempt. Her lips were painted a soft pink which caught his attention. It figures that her lips would be what she would highlight on her face. He'd always wondered what it would be like to kiss her.

"Are you okay? You haven't looked this down since that time the soda machine ate your quarters." Alex commented, her expression grave.

Bobby felt a smile tugging at his lips. "I found that there was no way to reason with the stupid machine, so I kicked it."

Alex laughed vibrantly, sighing afterwards. "Honestly though, what's wrong?"

Bobby stared down at his feet, searching for the right thing to say. He had a feeling that the truth at this moment in time might not be the best way out.

"I've just had a lot on my mind lately, I guess."

"Really? Because I could have sworn you were staring daggers into Michael's back as we were dancing."

The truth of the statement had him grinning. He should have known better than to try and fool an experienced detective like Alex.  
"Okay, so maybe I was a little jealous…"

"A little? Poor Michael said that he wouldn't dance with me again unless my partner took a chill pill."

The guilt rose up in his throat again. "I'm sorry…I've ruined your evening…"

Alex's laugh caught him by surprise. "You haven't ruined anything, Bobby." She said honestly. "I wasn't having fun anyways. I'd hoped that you would ask me to dance."

When he didn't say anything, her smile faded, her expression serious.

The streetlamp was casting light down upon her face, shadowing under her eyes. Impulsively, he reached out and tilted her chin up with his hand. Her mouth parted in surprise and her eyes widened slightly. How could anyone look so beautiful?

Bobby felt himself leaning towards her, almost naturally, as if it was meant to be this way. She leaned into him, closing the gap between their bodies. She exhaled in a sigh the moment before their lips met.

His mind was racing, his heart pounding. He couldn't believe his own courage, his own confidence…but this was Alex, and it felt so right.

He melted into her, delving deeper into her mouth and taking his fill. She was sweet, but only slightly so. Something about her taste had him puzzled; he found that all he could think about was finding the secret ingredient to her being.

Alex's mind was jumbled. She couldn't imagine anything more beautiful than what she was experiencing, and only regretted that it hadn't happened sooner. Her partner was someone she trusted with her life and her heart, and what she felt for him knew no bounds.

She wound her arms around his neck, pulling him closer towards her and deepening the kiss. His own arms curled around her petite frame, bundling her into him, feeling her warmth against his chest.

"Bobby…" she whispered, pulling away from him. "What does…"

"What does this all mean?" he finished, a sheepish smile forming on his mouth. "I think it means that my feelings for you are finally justifiable."

Alex returned his smile, her heart pounding. "I suppose it's safe to say that I had no idea."

Her lips were slightly swollen from the kiss, and her fingers reached up to trace over them. What she felt on them was heat, pure heat.

"It's cold out here…God, Bobby, you don't have your coat on!" She said suddenly as her mind cleared. She began to run her hands up and down his arms, then reaching up to cup his face. When he simply smiled at her, she felt her heart melt.

"I am a bit chilly…I think some dancing might warm me up." He replied, taking her hand in his and placing her other hand on his shoulder. He placed a hand on the small of her back and gently brought her tight against him. He could see the excited pleasure in her eyes.

"Waltzing in the middle of the sidewalk?" She laughed, staring at him incredulously. "You are definitely one of a kind."

"And delightfully unpredictable." He added with a grin. He released her to spin her in a circle, then spun her back into his arms. Leaning close to her, he teased her lips with his own.

"I like your unpredictable side. It keeps me on my toes."

"I think this whole night has been unpredictable…wouldn't you say?" he said, his voice low and his eyes intense.

In reply she crushed her mouth into his, allowing the heat of it to entangle her and send shivers through her body. Her hands wound in his hair and she felt as though she'd landed in heaven.

"It's freezing out here! Shouldn't you two be insi-"

Deakins stood just outside the doorway to the party. His eyebrows were raised and an amused grin had come over his face. His two lead detectives split like guilty children and stared at him disbelievingly.

"We were just, ah…" Alex began, unsure of what to say. She felt like a teenager caught making out in the hallway.

"I suppose I'll leave you two alone…" Deakins laughed, turning to head back into the party. On an afterthought, he turned around. "Or maybe that's a bad idea?"

"No, no…it's a very good idea." Bobby replied with an enormous grin.

Resigned, Deakins returned to the party and left the two detectives to ponder what sort of black mail they'd be subjected to after this incident.

"You know he's never going to let this go." Alex said with a grin.

"Yes…we're going to be his ongoing joke for the next two years." Bobby agreed, reaching for her again. "I don't care…Alex, I adore you, I always have. You mean the world to me."

Touched, Alex cupped her hands around his face. "Likewise."

Before he could reply, she kissed him again. And again.


End file.
